RECENT COMMENTS BY David MacGregor

Columns by David MacGregor

All of you reading this are in the vanguard - the first wave of troops in the world's next major battle arena. You are on the internet. You are one of the "early adopters," adopting new technologies and new ideas ahead of the majority. Your thinking is being changed and your world view is being radically altered. You may not know this - but it is happening all the same. In the "old" world...

I recall, back in the early 80s, how I got "hooked" by a number of serious conspiracy theory books. Everything from tomes on the Illuminati and the Freemasons, to a Jewish global financial hegemony and New World Order. There were the small conspiracies. Then there were the large conspiracies. And finally, there were the conspiracies within conspiracies, and even the super- conspiracies. Of the...

The supposed hallowed hallmark of free societies, free speech, has been sorely tested these past few weeks. First there were the Mohammed cartoons - originally published in a Danish newspaper - which have infuriated Islam and sparked world-wide riots and demonstrations. Then there was the guilty verdict handed down to David Irving, the British historian who is internationally vilified for...

Well, it's official. Hamas won the Palestinian election fair and square. Democracy in action. And people are not happy! George Bush is not happy, but he's putting a brave face on it, and trying to work out how to deal with a democratic outcome which he cannot tolerate. Tony Blair and the Europeans are not happy, and like the US, they are threatening to withdraw financial aid to the...

Remember the movie "Groundhog Day"? It was the story of a man (Bill Murray) who was forced to continuously relive the worst day of his life, until he learned to become a better person. As we launch into 2006, it already has the feeling of deja vu, of a groundhog day in the making. I recall my intense scepticism when pressure was being put on Iraq, in the first stages of that...

What's the difference between: A drug addict and an alcoholic? A drug dealer and a liquor merchant? An international drug ring and an international alcoholic drink distributor? Nothing. The only difference is in legality--not in principle. In our culture, drugs are a "no-no," although it wasn't always so. In other cultures, alcohol is a "no-no." So take your pick. The fact is...

The greatest threat to our freedom today is not terrorism, but what governments are doing to counter this perceived terrorist threat. Let me say that again. Terrorism is not the real danger we face, it's what governments around the world are doing to make us "safe." It's a scam because it is based on two lies. Lie #1: You are seriously at risk of being killed by a terrorist...

George Orwell's 1984 is the story of a future society where individualism has been eliminated, where propaganda is used to control the masses, and where perpetual war is being waged to maintain the "peace." It's a world where false is true and wrong is right, where history is constantly being rewritten to support whatever the regime is currently doing--and where Big Brother watches your every...

I've just returned from nine days in the magical old town of Lijiang, China. It was a respite made in heaven. After a couple of months in Chongqing, a major industrial city of 33 million, the sight and smell of clean, clear air was, well, "like a breath of fresh air"! Lijiang is a traveller's mecca. A wonderful old town riddled with crystal clear waterways - a sort of Asian Venice....

What do 9/11, the London bombings and Hurricane Katrina have in common? They all demonstrate the failure of the state to do what it claims is its two primary responsibilities - the preservation of domestic law and order and defence against foreign aggression. Most people who support minimalist government place a heavy emphasis on the state's monopoly role of policing, system of justice and...

I recall, in the mid 70s, greatly enjoying a comedy from the UK's BBC, called The Good Life. It starred well known British actors Richard Briars, Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington (later of "Yes Minister" fame). The basic premise of "The Good Life" was that Tom and Barbara Good were sick of the rat race, and decided to become self- sufficient, right in the middle of suburbia, from their...

I recall once discussing the matter of freedom with a group of similar-minded people. Somebody made the comment that commitment to the principle of "freedom of speech" was the hallmark of a free society. In other words, if freedom of speech was absent or curtailed, then so was freedom itself. These days, when we're told by our leaders that we are engaged in a war in defence of our freedoms...

In the early 80s I was in New Zealand. I was an ardent admirer and supporter of the USA and everything American. So much so, that one particular evening I deliberately took myself on to the streets of Auckland City to take on the mindless hordes who were marching up the main street in protest at the visits of American nuclear-powered warships to New Zealand waters.
I was livid. I can recall...

It's a good question, because unless you know by what standard you should measure freedom, you cannot know if you really ARE free. Let's get personal. How do YOU rate your own freedom? And what is it that defines the freedom you think you have? How would you answer the following? Are you able to start a business without bureaucratic overload? Are you able to cut down a tree in your...

The UK election has put one more nail in the coffin.
Tony Blair has won an historic third term - the first Labour government ever to do so. And to look at his smile, you'd think he believes the hype - and that he is presiding over some sort of victory. Far from it.
Let's look at the real facts.

I admit it. When I see the Scottish highlands, hear the lilt of the accent or far away bagpipes, or sample a rare single malt whiskey, I come over all sentimental and proud. You see, my dad was a Scot, and although I have only ever visited Scotland three or four times, it still evokes a sense of history and "love of country" in me.

I admit it. When I see the Scottish highlands, hear the lilt of the accent or far away bagpipes, or sample a rare single malt whiskey, I come over all sentimental and proud. You see, my dad was a Scot, and although I have only ever visited Scotland three or four times, it still evokes a sense of history and "love of country" in me.

A proper definition of anarchy is: 1) the absence of government, and 2) a political theory opposed to government.
That begs the question, "what is government?" Government is the POLITICAL means of social organisation and control - the political means of imposing order.
Anarchy does not mean NO order, it simply means no "political" order.

Contrary to George Bush's and Tony Blair's assertions - the war on terror is NOT about bringing freedom to the world. It "may" be about bringing democracy (although I doubt it) - but certainly not freedom.
In fact, the war on terror is a direct ATTACK on freedom.
Terrorism is as old as history. And just so we are all on the same page regards a definition of terrorism - what I mean by that word is...

Freedom is one of those words that gets bandied about a lot--and suffers from both inaccurate use and over use.
There have also been volumes written about it--from the deepest philosophical tomes, to the shortest speeches by George W Bush!
And seeing as we are now urged to support the spreading of "freedom" around the world--it behooves us to understand what it really is.
To clear the decks, let...

Right in the middle of the great Tsunami disaster, another disaster hits the global headlines: Prince Harry dressed up as a Nazi, and wearing a swastika arm band!
The world is aghast. The world is outraged. The world is full of shite.
The reason for the outrage, so we are told, is that Prince Harry has offended millions of people by thoughtlessly wearing the hated symbol of Nazism--that unique...

If you read the newspapers, watch TV or even grab your headlines off the internet, you are continually bombarded by a stream of events. These events are never linked to any overriding theme or purpose. They are just events, presenting themselves for observation--and obfuscation.
Take the "war on terror." If you believe the news, we are in the grip of a terrible onslaught of violence and mayhem....

How would you feel about living in a place where you weren't compelled to wear seat belts or cycle helmets; where you could just set up "shop" on the pavement to sell your wares, without a license; where you could walk around in relative peace and safety; where jaywalking is encouraged, and the traffic seems to work in the absence of traffic cops and enforced speed limits; where you can eat a...

A lot of people have a strong opinion about taxation. "It's too high!" "Tax the rich more!" "Stop tax cheats!" "Avoid, don't evade!" And so on.
Typically, most people treat it as an economic issue--a matter of raising money to pay for government services. This approach leads to incessant arguments about the nature of government expenditure and efficiency etc.--as if one were talking about a...

Contrary to the "huff and puff" words of George Bush and other political world leaders, the war on terrorism cannot be won.
Terrorism is a strategy for achieving political ends. Just as crime is a strategy for achieving economic ends; taking drugs a strategy for achieving transcendence; or religion a strategy for achieving life's meaning and purpose.
You can argue that such strategies aren't...

Everybody loves freedom. Everybody wants it. At least, that is a common assumption. But a lot of questions need to be answered. For example: What is freedom exactly, and can it be accurately defined?
Is freedom the same as democracy?
Is freedom the the right to do anything I want - regardless of the impact on anyone else?
Should I have the freedom to:
* Enter your house and steal your money...